Jaguar I-Pace SVR shows that BMW M could be fun with electric cars

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Since the launch of the BMW i3 back in 2014, BMW enthusiasts have been wondering what it would be like if BMW made a proper performance variant. More recently, BMW developed the i3 S, a slightly sportier version of the i3 but, honestly, it’s barely different. It only packs a few more horsepowers and has only a slightly sportier suspension. So there’s a lot of room for more power and performance. We know BMW won’t be making a higher-performance variant of the BMW i3 but that’s a shame because the rumored Jaguar I-Pace SVR makes it seem like such a thing would be a blast.

According to a recent report from Autocar, Jaguar is seriously looking into a performance version of the brand’s newest I-Pace electric hatchback. “There is probably more than one route we could take,”said Hanno Kirner, Jaguar’s product planning boss of the idea of a potential I-Pace SVR. He even mentioned that it could be labeled differently, such as an SVX (off-road oriented) or an SVA (luxury-oriented). Either way, though, Jag is looking at this seriously. “But there is definitely space for a performance electric car or cars.” said Kirner.

But don’t think that Jaguar might just add a handful of horsepower and call it a day, like the i3 S. “We have asked ourselves how you would ‘SVR’ an electric car,” said Kirner. “Yes, we can make it do 0-60mph in 1.8sec. It’s a good headline, but once you’ve done it once or twice, and lost your eyes in the back of their sockets, you might not want to do it again.”

Kirner talked to Autocar about the Jaguar I-Pace’s 50/50 weight distribution, which indicates more of a sportier handling car, rather than just a faster one. That’s an exciting idea, considering the fact that the Jaguar I-Pace also has its own proper racing car and has an incredibly low center of gravity, as is typical among electric cars. So a proper handling one could be very fun, especially if Jag adds more power.

Although, Kirner warned about how too much power could overwhelm average buyers. “You also have to make sure you can’t go too fast,” he told Autocar. “I do worry that the instant torque and performance might be too much for untrained drivers. It may be that we have to impose some kind of restriction, so that the performance is limited until they have gone on a driving course or something.”

This is very intriguing news, as the future of electric cars can seem a bit bleak to car enthusiasts. But something like a Jaguar I-Pace SVR would be pretty cool. And it might push BMW to make something similar, maybe an M Performance electric car, in the future.